This is a wonderful day exploring the art on Naoshima, one of three islands creating a contemporary art experience set amidst the rice fields and mountains on the island and merging with the rural setting in the surrounding Seto Inland Sea. It features architecture by Tadao Ando.
We will ferry from Uno Port to Naoshima and travel by local bus, or if you would like, hire bicycles and cycle around to visit the Chichu Art Museum and other art project installations in the town.
TBC
meet for ferry transit to Island
**Please note I would be happy to greet you at your preferred location e.g. hotel or station but this will affect the necessary meeting time.
**The itinerary is dependent on the timing for Chichu Museum access which must be made in advance and affected by available designated entry time. The following is the ideal timeline but may be shuffled as appropriate.
Arrive and hire electric cycle(s) to begin our art exploration adventure!
Hiroshi Sugimoto Gallery was conceived to connect Naoshima and Enoura, which can be said to be the starting point of Sugimoto's creative activities since Sugimoto's longtime efforts in Naoshima led to the creation of his ultimate work as an artist, "Enoura Observatory" in Odawara. The museum, called Valley Gallery, is Ando’s ninth building on the island.
This building is also designed by Ando, Benesse House, the structure itself is sculpture-like. It is a museum-hotel that is home to works by famed artists Hiroshi Sugimoto, Gerhard Richter, Shinro Ohtake, Richard Long, David Hockney, and others.
Arguably the island’s centerpiece, it is modern art in an underground building, with a garden inspired by Monet's Water Lilies. Chichu houses a small but impressive collection of works by artists including Claude Monet, James Turrell, and Walter De Maria. This is the highlight of a visit to Naoshima.
lunch at Chichu Cafe - a tasty selection with a nice sea view
photos of the signature installation at the pier.
a collection of abandoned houses and workshops scattered throughout the village, within walking distance of one another, that have been converted into venues and art installations by artists from Japan and around the world.
It began as an opportunity to interject modern art into the lives of the islanders and the local area. And to connect their daily lives with the resonance of times past olden times. The result doesn’t completely live up to Fukutake’s dreams as the art remains somewhat separate from the residents’ lives, each house having become a mini-museum. But it has injected life into the villages.
Conclude tour and ferry basck to Uno Port
TBC
The itinerary timing is dependent on the seasonal opening hours and also the guest's arrival time at the port, ideally taking 9:00 ferry from Uno Port to arrive at 9:20 at the port on Teshima and then head to Chichu Museum which I will time for lunch there.
Following a tasty lunch at a local eaterie, we will stop for photos at the Giant Pumpkin and head back to Miyanouar to take a leisurely look at the local art project installations I
before taking the ferry back to Uno Port to rejoin your ship.
If desired, I am happy to customize the tour for you. Please inquire about a quote.
Due to the locations, and available access for necessary advance bookings, we may be crisscrossing the island and visiting wonderful sites of varying kinds of experiences!
guide fee
entries, lunch, and transportation (you and the guide)
Art House Project = ¥1050
Chichu = ¥2,100 *free for children 15 and under
Hiroshi Sugimoto Museum = ¥1,500 *Includes Tea ticket (Tea and Sweets)
Benesse Museum = ¥ 1,300 * Free admission for children of 15
**Important
-–Chichu Museum requires advance booking and availability may be affected by that timing.
––**I require reimbursement for my 2-hour transit from Hiroshima where I am based to and from the ferry port.
¥15000 in cash in JPY on the day - thank you for your understanding
The ferry charges ¥300 each way and electric bicycles ¥1500 for the day.
You need to be of reasonable fitness. The cycles are electrically assisted and provide great flexibility for the itinerary and we move at a comfortable pace.
Once I send a requested tour offer I hold that date for 36 hours. Please note that I supply tours for several companies and I will close that date to enquiries via other providers for that period; if a booking is not made I reopen my availability. I am contractually obliged to accept bookings made for dates open on a provider site calendar; as such, I cannot guarantee availability until a booking is set. Thanks for your understanding.
Hugh e’ stato una guida molto preparata, efficiente e simpatica. Grazie ai suoi racconti e alle sue spiegazioni siamo riusciti a immergerci nella cultura, anche culinaria, della città. Lo consiglio!
grazie mille Marinella! È stato un grande piacere condividere la giornata con tutti voi.
Hugh provided a wonderful tour for our small group of 4. It was both very informative and a lot of fun. He is extremely knowledgeable about the locations we toured, providing great depth and insights into their details, history and significance. He was also able to answer all our other questions about Japan in general. He clearly has a deep love and understanding of all things Japanese. Thanks Hugh for a wonderful tour!
Thanks Rob!
Hugh was incredible! He is a Japanese soul with an Aussie accent. His deep love and respect for Japan was immediately evident and he generously shared his take on history, culture, and language on our day-long adventure. He was easy to contact by email pre-trip to work out some details and was on time at our hotel starting point. We spent a full day on foot, train, and ferry to significant locations in and around Hiroshima. We especially enjoyed our lunch stop for okonomiyaki (savory pancake) at a wonderful location we never would have found on our own. Our group of 3 finished the day 10 times smarter than when we started.
Hugh is very knowledgeable and flexible to tailor our tour day due to changing circumstances. For example, when the trains to Mijiima were not available because of heavy rains and mud slide risks, we started out in the reverse order and started with the atomic bomb dome and museum. When became clear that the trains would still be out for a few more hours. We took a cab, tram and two boats to get to and from Miyajima and had a great time. He is a wealth of knowledge for history buffs like myself. His fluency in Japanese was flawless and great to have as a guide.
Thanks Barry! It was a great pleasure sharing the day as your guide.